Adapting Nikon F3 focusing screen to F2 body

[PhotoGog]

Hi all. Apologies as a quick search on RFF reveals a few relevant threads. But I am hoping that someone has specific experience in adapting a Nikon F3 type H2 focusing screen into a F2 frame? I accomplished this last night, unscrewing a standard K screen from a F2 screen mount and plugging in the H2. Everything seems to work fine, but of course I won’t know if the placement of the new screen produces accurate framing. Though the huge increase in brightness is immediately noticeable. Anyone does this before? With H2 specifically, I mean?

 

[rumbliegeos]

I seem to remember that you don’t need to remount the F3 finder in a F2 finder frame if you place the finder in the camera front to back. Do a search on that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dwig]

Hi all. Apologies as a quick search on RFF reveals a few relevant threads. But I am hoping that someone has specific experience in adapting a Nikon F3 type H2 focusing screen into a F2 frame? I accomplished this last night, unscrewing a standard K screen from a F2 screen mount and plugging in the H2. Everything seems to work fine, but of course I won’t know if the placement of the new screen produces accurate framing. Though the huge increase in brightness is immediately noticeable. Anyone does this before? With H2 specifically, I mean?

In the Nikon F, F2, & F3, framing accuracy and focus accuracy is controlled by the body and not the focusing screen. There is a "mask" in the body that does this. The screens are oversized and their bottom surface extends beyond the metal frame so that is sits on the mask.


There are two groups of F3 screens, those with and those without a dot, and their optics differ slightly. Also, the optics in some screen types are different even within the same model. This can lead to the occasions poor fit when swapping the optics between differing frames. When the swapped optics fit well the resulting screen with work fine and will frame and focus properly. The usual culprit leading to a poor fit is the top condenser lens which varies according to the focal length of the lens for which the screen it targeted.



Back in the day, I occasionally did various custom mods on photo equipment. When doing a F3 screen to F/F2 body conversion I preferred to modify the F3 frame. I'd remove the optics, mill off the extended "handle", chamfer one side edge (or both), and reassemble. The result would fit an F or F2 body well and bypassed any issue with how the optics fit the frame. There can still be metering issues with F and F2 Photomics if the donor F3 screen is the later, brighter version, those that have the dot.

 

[presspass]

I seem to recall that what you did - remove the screen from the F3 mount and install it in an F2/F mount - works. I have never tried this, but I do remember reading that it would work. The frames for the F and F2 are the same and screens are interchangeable. The F3 and F4 screens are also interchangeable. I do use H2 and H3 screens on my F3s and occasionally look for those models in the F/F2 mount. As Dwig pointed out, it should not affect the framing. I would be more concerned about the focus accuracy at closest focus point and the lens wide open. Do keep us posted on how well this works. Thanks.

 

[Calzone]

I seem to recall that what you did - remove the screen from the F3 mount and install it in an F2/F mount - works. I have never tried this, but I do remember reading that it would work. The frames for the F and F2 are the same and screens are interchangeable. The F3 and F4 screens are also interchangeable. I do use H2 and H3 screens on my F3s and occasionally look for those models in the F/F2 mount. As Dwig pointed out, it should not affect the framing. I would be more concerned about the focus accuracy at closest focus point and the lens wide open. Do keep us posted on how well this works. Thanks.

I have mounted F3 screens into F2 screen frames for use on F2's with DE-1 finders. The DE-1 is a meterless prism so if a brighter red dot screen was utilized any offset in brightness was moot.

I have never utilized your specific screen. If a brighter red dot screen with a metered prism the brighter screen will effect your metering.

Cal

 

[presspass]

Keep in mind that a brighter screen may make focusing more difficult. The older screens have more snap to them.

 

[Calzone]

Keep in mind that a brighter screen may make focusing more difficult. The older screens have more snap to them.

PP,

How true. I have used Beattie Intenscreen's and while brighter there is less contrast which aids in focus snap.

In the real world the better/higher contrast provides better focus snap.

Cal

 

[PhotoGog]

Thank you, all. The F3 type H2 screen I have adapted is not a red dot version. But like I said, it is still noticeably brighter and, to my eye, contrasty and easier to focus than the regular F2 type K screen.

Yes, I tried plugging in the F3 screen frame in reverse into the F2 but for me it did not work. Just too tight. I guess the frame warped over the decades perhaps. And I was hesitant about shaving down the tab on the F3 screen until I tested the simpler refit option.

I plan to finish shooting the test roll this weekend, taking special notice of focus points at various apertures and distances to see if the screen aligns as it should. Will post some findings here for future ref.